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Education

Children at a teaching session with Juliette Green, surrounded by plants propagated on site

Caroline Starr explaining pollination in daffodils

School children make leaf jigsaws

Revealing the seeds forming on a daffodil

An Introduction to Martineau Gardens – an outdoor learning environment

Martineau Gardens is a two and a half acre Community Garden in the heart of Birmingham. In the 1960s, when the Gardens became an environmental study centre, diverse habitats and features were creatively designed with children in mind. Since then, thousands of Birmingham school children have visited the Gardens to learn about the natural world and wildlife.

Bring your class or educational group here for an opportunity to learn about the natural environment in the heart of the city. (Please note: all educational visits must be booked in advance.) All of our teaching sessions are directly linked to the science programmes of study in the National Curriculum, and are delivered by a qualified teacher. Martineau Gardens holds the Learning Outside the Classroom award. During your visit you’ll find a range of learning opportunities for your group, including:

Exploring different habitats (grassland, woodland, meadow) to find out about the plants and animals that live there

Learning about parts of plants and their functions; and requirements for growth

Searching for, identifying and classifying invertebrates

Finding out where food comes from by looking at the vegetable plots, orchard and herb garden – you will even get to taste some home-grown produce

Understanding the important role of bees as pollinators of our crops by visiting the beehives

Investigating food chains, life cycles and adaptation

And no visit is complete without the chance to play (and eat packed lunches) around the shipwreck play area!

Our Staff

Our teacher, Juliette Green, is an experienced Environmental Educator and primary school teacher, with an in-depth knowledge of the primary National Curriculum. She is also a published author who has written books and resources about outdoor learning across the curriculum.

CarolineStarr is well acquainted with Martineau Gardens, is a knowledgable gardener and has years of experience of working with children. Caroline takes school groups on tours around the Garden, showing the children how the natural world is working around them.

Booking an Educational Visit

At Martineau Gardens we offer a full day Educational Visit. This includes a National Curriculum-focussed teaching session (see choice below), led by our qualified teacher Juliette Green, and a guided tour of the Gardens with a member of Martineau Gardens’ staff. This is suitable for groups of up to 32 pupils at one time*.

Costs:

You can book:

Primary School Visit

A full day for up to 32 pupils. The class will be divided in half and each group will receive your chosen teaching session (see below for options) and a tour of the gardens. The cost is £150.

Environmental Visit

A full day for up to 15 pupils who will receive a teaching session of your choice (see below for options) and a tour of the gardens. The cost is £110. (This fee revised April 2018)

Garden Tour

Two hours in the gardens for up to 15 children who will receive a tour lasting in the region of 1 – 1.5 hours. The cost is £30.

OR

Self-led activities

Without our staff. Book your educational visit to Martineau Gardens, but lead all outdoor learning activities yourself. The cost is £1 per head, per hour.

*Group size 32 = Martineau Gardens is two and half-acres of organically maintained, varied landscape. There’s lots to see, but it’s modest in size. For that reason it’s suitable for a maximum of 32 children at any one time. If you would like to bring more than one class, then we suggest that the visits are on different days. Please ring us to help you plan your needs on 0121 440 7430.

Booking for Early Years Foundation Stage and Primary Schools

We offer the following five national curriculum-focussed teaching sessions, for you to choose from:

Be a Plant Professor: parts of plants and their functions; conditions for growth; identifying and naming plants

Minibeast Safari: searching for invertebrates in the woodland; pond dipping; life cycles

Habitat Explorers: finding out about the different habitats at Martineau Gardens; food chains; create a habitat

Adaptation, Evolution and Classification (Darwin, Linnaeus and the Tree of Life): classification, adaptation and evolution of plants and animals

Pirate Adventure: go on a treasure hunt, using maps and compasses; make your own boats; pirate art

Young people from Secondary Schools in Birmingham also have the opportunity to spend two weeks on work experience learning about horticulture, alongside a diverse range of volunteers.

Group visits for Educational Youth Groups

The Gardens can be booked for activities run by our qualified teacher or specialist educator. Woodcraft, Brownies, Scouts, Nurseries and Home Educating Groups frequently bring groups of young people to Martineau Gardens. Group visits must be booked in advance.

Garden Tours: Up to 15 people at a time, £30 for 2 hours in the garden (tour takes 1-1.5 hours) between 9.30am and 4pm

In addition to our woodland and wildlife area, the Gardens have two Forest School Areas, an outdoor cooking area (with Earth Oven) and a bonfire area all of which are available for hire for running Forest School activities..